Brass For Africa

News update — 23 July 2006

Election Countdown in DR Congo

Next Sunday — 30 July 2006, the Democratic Republic of the Congo will democratically elect a new government for the first time in 45 years.

Reuters report today that there are more than 9,000 candidates running for 500 national assembly seats; there are 33 candidates for president. Wow!

But will the election be plain sailing?

Last week the BBC reported Deaths at DR Congo election rally (19 July 2006)
Today Reuters report Congo church says abstain if vote fraud not tackled (23 July 2006)

But after the elections, there are great risks for DRC:

Mark Doyle, BBC Correspondent in DRC wrote Cross your fingers for DR Congo (22 July 2006)
We read articles such as Act now to ensure post-polls stability, ICG says (21 July 2006)

The UN's IRINnews has a special page Countdown in Congo

As God's people we do not believe that luck or “cross your fingers” will have any impact on the outcome. Please join us in praying that God will bring godly men and women to govern this troubled country, that the election will be peaceful and that he will be glorified!